"Dissent without action is consent."
-- Henry David Thoreau

Many of us feel the need to make a difference. We want to make a difference in our lives, and in the lives of the people we love. We were born with a seed in our being desiring a better world, knowing that peace and love are a much better choice than anger and fear. We know this in the depth of our beings.

Yet, we also are living in the "dense reality" of Planet Earth, where greed, fear, and anger, have run rampant. We have had to make choices many times between these energies -- love or hatred, trust in the innate goodness of man or fear of the darkness that some beings are expressing. At times, we ourselves have made choices that we may not be proud of? Like the energies of life, we have gone from light to dark to light, from calm to raging storms to the calm after the storm. We have experienced the ups and downs of life, we have felt love and anger and fear. We have run the gamut of experiences and emotions.

Yet, through all this we "own" a clarity that comes from our "inner self", our soul, our true being. We all know that beating someone to death (whether physically or figuratively) is not a loving action. We all know that hatred is never the solution. Even our clichTs say it for us: "You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar", and "Love makes the world go 'round".

We have dreams of a better world -- yet sometimes we fall into despair and think that there is no hope, that there is no way out -- Yet, while there is still life, while there is still breath, there is still hope. We are the ones who can make a difference. Changes start with one person. Gandhi at first stood alone and then he stood with millions in his stance of non-violence. Jesus at first stood alone in his forgiveness of "sinners" and then many joined him. Buddha sat for years alone under a Bodhi tree, and then many rallied to his side. Martin Luther King Jr. stood with a few, until the majority of the American people have now joined his dream -- equality for all regardless of race, color, or creed.

We do make a difference by our thoughts, our words, and our actions. It is sometimes easier to merely speak about our beliefs and our dreams, than to take action and live them. Yet, if we want our life to change, we need to take that brave step into the unknown. Will our actions reap the future we envision? We do not know. Sometimes things develop differently than we expect, yet we must take that first step, and then the next, and the next.

Many of the people who remember me from 10 and 20 years ago, would be amazed to see me now. Where I was once a "staunch vegetarian", I have come to realize that while it is very important to "eat healthy", it is even more important to watch what comes out of your mouth than what goes into it. What you say to yourself, and to others, is of greater importance than what you eat. "What is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul --"Matthew xvi. 26. In the same way, what is the point of being physically healthy if your soul, your inner self is not shining with love and peace?

Twenty years ago, I was as far away from being political as one could be. I have now come to realize that it is important for me to take a stand on what I feel is right, take a position that things can and should be better, and take actions towards that goal. We, who envision a better world, must take action in that world.

When we know that something is not working, sometimes we simply need to try something different, and trust and pray that our new choice will work out better. We do not always know what the future will bring us. However, we do know that if we remain in a stagnant state and do not make a choice to change, things will only keep going in the direction in which they are going. We must take peaceful actions in the ways that are available to us, and one of these ways is voting.

Are John Kerry and John Edwards the best that America has to offer for president? Perhaps we cannot truly know at this time. Personally, I wish Robert Redford had run for president. Yet, at present our choices are between George W. Bush and Dick Cheney, and John Kerry and John Edwards. There is no point bemoaning the fact that we should have better candidates. This is the choice we have. We have to start playing the game with the game pieces that we have, and know that as time goes on we can improve the quality of our game pieces.

Please go out and vote on Tuesday, and cast your vote for John Kerry, John Edwards, and all the Democrats that are running for office. It's not so much about John Kerry himself, but about the balance of political power. We need a change. We need a chance to change the direction in which this country is heading.

We need to stand up and be counted, and let our vote speak for us: we choose a better vision for America, one in which ALL people count. We need to return to the "power of the people", and we are the people. Let's go vote. Let's make a choice for a change in America. Let's choose respect for people and for the environment.

Let's take a step closer to the world we dream of. A world where all are fed, clothed, and at peace. I personally feel that John Kerry, John Edwards, and a Democratic administration are what we need to start us going in that direction.

So, on Tuesday, please go vote. Encourage everyone you know to vote. And also keep your energies and thoughts focused on creating a better world for all.

About The Author

Marie T. Russell is the founder of InnerSelf Magazine (founded 1985). She also produced and hosted a weekly South Florida radio broadcast, Inner Power, from 1992-1995 which focused on themes such as self-esteem, personal growth, and well-being. Her articles focus on transformation and reconnecting with our own inner source of joy and creativity.

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